Yes, I am a mechanic, and engineer and an enthusiast. However, that doesn't seem to stop people who know NOTHING from claiming I'm wrong.

Nowadays a 205 will be worth more standard than modified. It will also be more fun and nicer to drive. Why waste your money making it worth less and less fun?

Quote from tristancliffe :

Yes, I am a mechanic, and engineer and an enthusiast. However, that doesn't seem to stop people who know NOTHING from claiming I'm wrong.

Nowadays a 205 will be worth more standard than modified. It will also be more fun and nicer to drive. Why waste your money making it worth less and less fun?

See, if you was to prove a point, you are one to give an explanation about things. Yes I don't know loads at the moment but know a lot more than other 17 yr olds.

I woudn't just chuck any old stuff onto the engine etc... Keep either the original 1.9 engine in it and just do proper modifications to the internals, or put a MI16 in it at one stage. Standard suspension is yes, good. But if I had the money would put decent suspension kit on it, anti roll bars, strut braces etc... A standard what is apparently good fun to drive but I've only ever been in one with a mi16 in it.

But it's very tricky to change an engine, change the suspension (to suit the new engine) and brace up the chassis without actually making a LOT less fun. Faster maybe (though still not a certainty), but fun is very tricky. If it was easy, modern hothatches would be fun, and no manufacturer would produce a dud sports car or hot hatch. The fact that the majority of production hot hatches are duds is a good reason not to mess with one that has "the magic" - like a 205 GTi.

This is even more true when you try to do it on a 17 year olds budget.

If you just want to go faster (at the expense of 'fun') as in a race or track day car, then that's relatively easy. But you'll quickly find that fast doesn't necessarily equal fun - in fact, in a lot of cases, the slower the car the more fun it is (although, of course, some cars are just too slow to be fun on a track day).

Quote from sam93 :

Thats what is annoying me, all the good examples are a lot of money.

You don't say

How are you planning on insuring all these modifications Sam? Out of interest

Quote from sam93 :

Just sound like a load of keyboard warriors to me HAHA.

Go back to your first post about the van that you were 100% for sure going to modify, no matter how long it took or how much cash it took and no matter what anyone said, cause you wanted to do something different.

Then look through all the other things you're going to do, all the cars you nearly got/going to get and then modify those, that nice 205 track day car, thats pretty sweet.

All that on the wage you get, but you don't have a job cause if you did you'd get rid of the van -> return to start and repeat.

Then read that quote again.

Quote from pearcy_2k7 :

How are you planning on insuring all these modifications Sam? Out of interest

Pffft noob, no one declares mods on their insurance

I heard 205 GTIs were really easy to insure at 17?

Quote from tristancliffe :

But it's very tricky to change an engine, change the suspension (to suit the new engine) and brace up the chassis without actually making a LOT less fun. Faster maybe (though still not a certainty), but fun is very tricky. If it was easy, modern hothatches would be fun, and no manufacturer would produce a dud sports car or hot hatch. The fact that the majority of production hot hatches are duds is a good reason not to mess with one that has "the magic" - like a 205 GTi.

This is even more true when you try to do it on a 17 year olds budget.

If you just want to go faster (at the expense of 'fun') as in a race or track day car, then that's relatively easy. But you'll quickly find that fast doesn't necessarily equal fun - in fact, in a lot of cases, the slower the car the more fun it is (although, of course, some cars are just too slow to be fun on a track day).

Thats what I was thinking, getting the right balance between the 2 if I was to change parts. I don't have enough knowledge yet to get the balance right as I'm 3 yrs away from Uni to even start understanding the right balance to make a well setup car (7yrs away in fact!) :| But there is someone down here who is very good with setting up cars, so might be worth a trip down to him.

Have you heard any of the rumours that the build quality is worse on the 1.9 than on the 1.6? In terms of the engine. I couldn't see it tbh though.

I want it to be quick on the straights and in corners. So getting that balance may be pretty difficult :S

*Cough* Insurance *Cough*

No, the engines are built to the same standard. Most would say the 1.6 is the nicer engine to use, but of course doesn't have the outright punch of the 1.9. But I cannot claim to be an expert in the 205, so more than this I wouldn't know.

If you are after quick then you're life is now a lot easier. You'll have a lot less fun in it, and it won't make you smile as much, but fast/quick is far easier than fun.

Quote from pb32000 :

I heard 205 GTIs were really easy to insure at 17?

£1,108 for a GTI 1.6
£1,158 for a GTI 1.9

So they aren't bad at all. Especially really for the type of cars they are.

Quote from tristancliffe :

No, the engines are built to the same standard. Most would say the 1.6 is the nicer engine to use, but of course doesn't have the outright punch of the 1.9. But I cannot claim to be an expert in the 205, so more than this I wouldn't know.

If you are after quick then you're life is now a lot easier. You'll have a lot less fun in it, and it won't make you smile as much, but fast/quick is far easier than fun.

So you say for the overall fun is the 1.6? Surely they should be as 'fun' is corners? But the 1.9 a little quicker on the straights?

I did do a quote for a 1990 MX5 as I've heard they are good fun to drive even though they are hairdressers cars, but when I got the quote back for the 1.6, that was that car out of the question!

...I think the insurance points was wrt to the crazy mods you had planned...

Quote from Jakg :

...I think the insurance points was wrt to the crazy mods you had planned...

Yes I know. Engine is very dodgy not to declare, but things like strut braces, new anti roll bars and suspension, yes are suppose to be declared, but I can't really see why.

There are people who put a 1.6 civic engine in the 1.4 and not declare it, but thats because they are IDENTICAL engines in the EKs... Dunno about the EG or newer ones.

If I was to put a MI16 in one, it would be best to declare it as a lot of traffic cops down here seem to know their cars!

lolololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololol

What you meant to say was, your not going to declare anything because you won't then be able to afford the insurance. Nice one.

Quote from pearcy_2k7 :

lolololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololol

What you meant to say was, your not going to declare anything because you won't then be able to afford the insurance. Nice one.

Hmm... When I know of someone who put a 1.6 in his '1.4' and turbo'd it and didn't declare it, says it all. I will declare things like engines. Do you know me? No! So how can you presume?

I might not know you but i do know your an idiot. That's how i persume. Your thinking hmmmmm my mate did it and got away with it so far and so will I.

Why don't you go buy a bangin corsa with your compo money?

Quote from sam93 :

So you say for the overall fun is the 1.6? Surely they should be as 'fun' is corners? But the 1.9 a little quicker on the straights?

I did do a quote for a 1990 MX5 as I've heard they are good fun to drive even though they are hairdressers cars, but when I got the quote back for the 1.6, that was that car out of the question!

The 1.6 is just a sweeter engine. Same with the MX-5, where the 1.6 is nicer than the 1.8 overall, but clearly less performance than the larger engine. Many cars with two capacities result in the smaller engine being nicer.

They might look a bit 'soft', but they didn't win handling contests based on looks.

Quote from Matrixi :

Less bickering, more picturing.

Got front LHD lights all sorted now and rear lights re-sealed to prevent water leakage in to the boot.

Is that a Chevy Bel-Air next to your R32?

Hehe, nice line up there

Quote from sam93 :

Yes I know. Engine is very dodgy not to declare, but things like strut braces, new anti roll bars and suspension, yes are suppose to be declared, but I can't really see why.

I tell ya why, because if you have an accident, and the insurance company get anything like a sniff that there are undeclared mods, regardless what they are, then they will declare your insurance null and void, and you'll be in a world of shit

Quote from tristancliffe :

The 1.6 is just a sweeter engine. Same with the MX-5, where the 1.6 is nicer than the 1.8 overall, but clearly less performance than the larger engine. Many cars with two capacities result in the smaller engine being nicer.

They might look a bit 'soft', but they didn't win handling contests based on looks.

Not bothered about the looks of a 205. Want it for its handling.

Was just wondering what is the best engine to go for... They're only 15bhp down on the 1.9 anyway, so not much at all.

Quote from danowat :

I tell ya why, because if you have an accident, and the insurance company get anything like a sniff that there are undeclared mods, regardless what they are, then they will declare your insurance null and void, and you'll be in a world of shit

Don't state the obvious. I know how it all works.

Might seem like an idiot. But I'm most certainly aint!

No, you are one. /Thread

Quote from sam93 :

Don't state the obvious. I know how it all works.

Might seem like an idiot. But I'm most certainly aint!

It was obvious, yet you stated you can't see the point in declaring non engine mods to the insurance?.

Do you even understand the logic?

Here's my love.